Comments on: April Fools’ Day Council changes http://www.mysociety.org/2009/04/03/april-fools-day-council-changes/ Usability with Purpose Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:53:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Alex Skene http://www.mysociety.org/2009/04/03/april-fools-day-council-changes/#comment-1319 Alex Skene Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:07:49 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1144#comment-1319 Hi - I'm one of the volunteer admins for www.WhatDoTheyKnow.com. There were a number of steps that were carried out leading up to April 1st, but it was fairly straightforward. In case anyone's interested they were: 1) Set up of all the new authorities, and add in explanatory help text. This was made easy as we'd had a few emails from their FOI Officers letting us know what their new email addresses would be. In addition, all of their websites were up and running in the weeks before the 1st, so it was quite quick to get hold of all the information required. For Cheshire East / West, where the County Council is split, we leave it up to the user to decide, and the new authorities have said that they'll transfer any mis-directed requests to the right place. 2) The abolished councils had their explanatory help text updated to direct users to the new authorities. 3) On the 1st, I made FOI requests to all the new unitary authorities asking them for their plans for in-course requests & internal reviews ( http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/search/%22unitary%20authority%20changes%22 ). Most replied back within a few days. As these FOI requests were made via WDTK, they would be visible to all users who had been directed to the new unitary authority from the old councils. There are a few old requests that appear to be outstanding, however we've not been asked yet to move any requests over to the new authorities (eg. if someone wanted an internal review carried out against a request to an abolished council). We can do this if required - please contact the team via http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/contact Cheers Alex Hi – I’m one of the volunteer admins for http://www.WhatDoTheyKnow.com. There were a number of steps that were carried out leading up to April 1st, but it was fairly straightforward. In case anyone’s interested they were:

1) Set up of all the new authorities, and add in explanatory help text. This was made easy as we’d had a few emails from their FOI Officers letting us know what their new email addresses would be. In addition, all of their websites were up and running in the weeks before the 1st, so it was quite quick to get hold of all the information required. For Cheshire East / West, where the County Council is split, we leave it up to the user to decide, and the new authorities have said that they’ll transfer any mis-directed requests to the right place.

2) The abolished councils had their explanatory help text updated to direct users to the new authorities.

3) On the 1st, I made FOI requests to all the new unitary authorities asking them for their plans for in-course requests & internal reviews ( http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/search/%22unitary%20authority%20changes%22 ). Most replied back within a few days. As these FOI requests were made via WDTK, they would be visible to all users who had been directed to the new unitary authority from the old councils.

There are a few old requests that appear to be outstanding, however we’ve not been asked yet to move any requests over to the new authorities (eg. if someone wanted an internal review carried out against a request to an abolished council). We can do this if required – please contact the team via http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/contact

Cheers
Alex

]]> By: Matthew http://www.mysociety.org/2009/04/03/april-fools-day-council-changes/#comment-1318 Matthew Sun, 31 May 2009 22:59:59 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1144#comment-1318 I'm not really involved in WhatDoTheyKnow, but it looks like e.g. old councils tell you they no longer exist: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/bedfordshire_county_council I imagine current requests would simply be passed on as appropriate, and so wouldn't make much difference from our end, but I'll pass your query on in case anyone has more detaild information. I’m not really involved in WhatDoTheyKnow, but it looks like e.g. old councils tell you they no longer exist: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/bedfordshire_county_council
I imagine current requests would simply be passed on as appropriate, and so wouldn’t make much difference from our end, but I’ll pass your query on in case anyone has more detaild information.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.mysociety.org/2009/04/03/april-fools-day-council-changes/#comment-1317 Andrew Sat, 30 May 2009 05:21:06 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1144#comment-1317 Presumably it also led to an updating to the authorities listing behind WhatDoTheyKnow? Was this difficult, or relatively straightforward, even where the request was in the middle of being processed? Presumably it also led to an updating to the authorities listing behind WhatDoTheyKnow?

Was this difficult, or relatively straightforward, even where the request was in the middle of being processed?

]]> By: Matthew http://www.mysociety.org/2009/04/03/april-fools-day-council-changes/#comment-1316 Matthew Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:46:46 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1144#comment-1316 Hi Alfred, The registered charity that runs mySociety has its website at http://www.ukcod.org.uk/ where you can also view its finances. This site, mysociety.org, is costing you nothing. I don't really understand your comment - I too work for a living, and am a taxpayer. I'm also afraid I don't see what part of my blog post was criticism - it was a simple technical look at the changes I had to make to cope with the local authority changes at the start of this month, I didn't give (and don't have) any opinion on the changes themselves, given I don't live in any of the areas affected. Hi Alfred,

The registered charity that runs mySociety has its website at http://www.ukcod.org.uk/ where you can also view its finances. This site, mysociety.org, is costing you nothing. I don’t really understand your comment – I too work for a living, and am a taxpayer.

I’m also afraid I don’t see what part of my blog post was criticism – it was a simple technical look at the changes I had to make to cope with the local authority changes at the start of this month, I didn’t give (and don’t have) any opinion on the changes themselves, given I don’t live in any of the areas affected.

]]> By: Alfred Swales http://www.mysociety.org/2009/04/03/april-fools-day-council-changes/#comment-1315 Alfred Swales Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:58:11 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1144#comment-1315 So as I work for a living I'd like to know how much you are costing me, a a taxpayer, with this site. You seem determined to criticise, but I don't see you putting up candidates or taking part in the democratic process in any meaningful way. So as I work for a living I’d like to know how much you are costing me, a a taxpayer, with this site.

You seem determined to criticise, but I don’t see you putting up candidates or taking part in the democratic process in any meaningful way.

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